All the Arts, All the Time

Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell to star in Broadway's 'Behanding'

Broadway audiences can look forward to a lot of artful pauses during Martin McDonagh's new play, "A Behanding in Spokane."

That's because Christopher Walken -- master of the unpredictable dramatic delivery -- is set to star in the dark stage comedy that will open at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 4.

Joining Walken in the cast will be Sam Rockwell, Anthony Mackie and Zoe Kazan. The production will be directed by John Crowley.

"A Behanding in Spokane" is McDonagh's first American-set play and his first to originate on Broadway. Promoters said that the plot involves a man searching for his missing hand (Walken), two con artists out to make a few hundred bucks (Mackie and Kazan) and an overly curious hotel clerk (Rockwell).

Walken is no stranger to Broadway, having been nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in "James Joyce's The Dead" in 2000. The following year, he acted in a revival of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" for the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, directed by Mike Nichols and costarring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline.

McDonagh's Broadway credits include "The Lieutenant of Inishmore," "The Pillowman," "The Lonesome West" and "The Beauty Queen of Leenane." He received Tony nominations for each play but has yet to win. Earlier this year, he received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for "In Bruges."